Tourist sign



Oct, 12 192s.

B. A. sLATER TOURIST SIGN Filed Dec. 6, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 oct. 12,1926.' 1,602,418

l B. A. SLATER l TOURIST SIGN Filed Dec. 6, 1924 y `2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Cle-t. l2, i926.

BERT A. SLATER, OF SOUTH BEND, BNIDANA.

TORmT SIGN.

Application led .December 6, 192e. Serial No. '754328.

This invention relates to an improved automobile tourist sign and seeks, among other objects, to provide a device which may be readily attached to a vehicle for displaying the naine of the home city or town of the tourist aswell as the name of the destination point.

The invention seeks, as a further object, to provide a sign embodying a front plate, a bacl; plate, and a plurality of letter plates, and whereinthe letter plates will all be clamped between the front and back plates to thus not only be securely held in. position but also to be held against rattling.

.lf-ind the invention seeks, as a still furtier object, to provide a sign wherein the letter plates may be readily assembled upon the front plate or removed therefrom.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the Amanner in which my improved sign may be attached to a conventional license plate of a motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional perspective view through the sign.A

Figure 3 is an .enlarged detail sectional View on the line 3-3 Iof Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

yFigure l is a perspective view showing the parts of the sign disassembled but in proper relative position.

Figure 5 is ya fragmentary perspective view showing one .of the bolt receiving` lugs on the front plate. y

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary Aelevat-ion showing the manner in which the letter plates are assembled upon the front plate.

In carrying the invention into effect, l employ a front plate 10 which may be of suitable resilient sheet/ metal and formed thereon is a rearwardly directed rim flange 11 having pairs of oppositely disposed lugs 12 located near the ends of the plate. One of said lugs is shown in detail in Figure 5, and, as will be observed, said lugs and the plate are provided with registering slots 13. ln conjunction with the front plate l employ a mating back plate 14 which is shaped to lit within the rim flange 11 and formed in the back plate are notches 1.5 to `freely accommodate the lugs 12. As shown in Figure 4, the plates 10 and 14' are apertured near the corners thereof to receive bolts 16 ,betweenhthe slots is cut away a short dis- Vvf'ith a letter printed or 4otherwise imposed connecting the plates with each other and, .as shown 1n Figure 1, wing nuts are preferably employed inconnection with these bolts' so that the nuts may be readily re- 60 moved to permit the separation of the plates. Y

As best shownin Figure e of the drawings, the plate 10 is provided with an upper pair of parallel slots 17 and a like pair of lower parallel slots 18. -These slots entend throughout the major portion of the length of the plate and, at the right en-d of the plate, as seen in lsaid Figure t, the metal tance to define entrance openings 19 at the outer ends of which are oppositelydirected notches 20. The pairs of slotsl 17 and 18 are provided to accommodate letter plates 21. rf`hese plates may also be formed `of suitable resilient sheet metal and are preferably flexible. At their\ends,th.e plates are odset to denne rearwardly spaced oppositely directed flanges 22 and nach ofthe plates is provided 8() thereon. Accordingly, the desired pla*l es may .be readily s lected `according to the letters thereon and, as suggested in Figur-e 1, .assembled upon the front plate 10 t0 malte up the name of the home town and State .of the tourist at the upper pair of slots 1l' of the front plate .as well as to make up the naine of the destination point atthe lower pair ,of slots 18 of .said front plate.r Be* tween thev pairs of slots 17 and 18, .the front plate is, as shown, preferably provided with the word TO suitably imposed directly upon the face plate so that after the letter plates have been assembled upon the front plate, the sign will read correctly.

Attention is now directed to Figure 6 of the drawings, wherein l have shown a typi-r cal letter plate and have illustrated the manner in which said letterl plate is engaged with the front plate. As will be observed, the flanges 22 of theletter plate arev inserted through a pair ofthe notches 20, when the letter' plate is flexed slightly and coincidently shifted sidewise torest within the adjacent pair of entrance openings 19. Thus, the flanges 22 of the letter plate are disposed behind the front plate so thatthe letter plate may then be shifted from said pair of entrance openings along the communicating pair of longitudinal slots 0c of the front plate tothe desired position. A similar procedure is, of course, followed in removing the letter plates so that, as will be seen, the letter plates may be yreadily assembled upon the front plate or removed therefrom. After the letter plates have all been mounted 1n posi` tion upon the front plate, the back plate 14 is then applied to overlie the flanges 22 of the letter plates, when the bolts 16 are inserted and the nuts tightened thereon for clamping said 'flanges between the plates. Thus' the letter plates will be tightly held 1n position and rattling or vibration avoided. In addition to the bolts 16, bolts 28 may also be ein:` ployed, as shown in Figure 1, orconnecting the plates centrally between the rows of letter plates. However, attention is directed to the tact that even should the letter plates become loose, said plates cannot shift from the slots of the front plate to become accidentally lost.

ln Figure 1 of the drawings, l have illustrated one way in which my improved sign may be mounted upon a motor vehicle. A conventional motor vehicle tire carrier is indicated at 24. rThis tire carrier is provided with the usual cross bar 25 upon which is mounted, in accordance with prevalent practice, one of the license plates of the vehicle as indicated at 26. As shown in Figure 3, the cross bar 25 is slotted to receive bolts 27 which secure the license plate and, in the instance illustrated, these bolts are inserted through the slots 13 near the upper edge of the sign so that said bolts also serve to secure the sign. Thus, the sign may be readily attached and, of course, the lower slots 18 olf the sign may, if found more convenient, be employed in mounting the sign in lieu of the upper slots.

lt is observed that a portion of the front plate 10 is disposed between the several pairs or parallel slots 17 and 18, as indicated at 1"!" and 18. These portions 17 and 18 provide supporting members to engage the letier plates 21 and prevent rearward displacereca/ire nient thereof, whereas the flanges 22 engage the rear side of the sign plate 10 and prevent torward displacement of the letter plates when the latter are placed in position. The cut away portions 19, at opposite edges ot the supporting members 17 and 18, together with the notches 2O in the outer edges or walls of the respective slotsl? and 18, provide clearance for the oiiset flanged edges 22 ot the letter plate 21 when placing them in position or removing them trom the sign plate 10, as indicated most clearly in .Figure 6.

Having thus described the invention, what l claim is z* 1. A. sign plate providedk with a pair of spaced parallel slots and with notches eX- tending outwardly trom the slots, the portion between the slots formi ng a supporting member which has opposite edge portions cut away adjacent the outwardly disposed notches to toi-m therewith clearance spaces, and letter plates having opposite edge portions passing through the said slots and engaging the rear side of the plate beyond and acent the said slots, and having the intermediate portion engaging the liront side of the said supporting member to prevent rearward displacement ot the letter plates.

2. A. sign plate having spaced parallel slots providing an intermediate supporting member and having opposite edge portions of the supporting member cut away to provide entrance openings, and having notches at the ends of the said entrance openings termed in the outer walls of the slots, and letter plates having odset edge portions to pass through the slots of the sign plate and enthe rear side thereof, the intermediate portions ot the letter plate adapted to enthe front side of the saidsupporting member.

ln testimony whereof l aiiiir my signature.

naar n. sparsa. [1.. si 

